Different Ways of Tying a Hijab

Lexie ZirkleUpdated April 17, 2017

A hijab is a shawl-shaped piece of fabric worn around the head by women to cover their hair completely. Many Muslim women wear hijabs. There are both traditional and more modern, trendy ways to wear hijabs. You can experiment with different fabrics, such as pashmina and silk. Some women also wear an underscarf beneath the hijab to make sure all hair is completely covered. The underscarf can match the hijab, or be a bold contrast.

Tying a Square Hijab

Pick an underscarf and hijab, making sure the colours don't clash. Place the underscarf on your head so that it covers just past your hairline. Fold your square hijab over once into a triangle. Drape it over your head so the point is toward the back and fabric drapes down your chest evenly on each side. Pin the hijab under your chin so that it frames your face. Adjust it around the underscarf to ensure it falls nicely around your face. Pull the right-hand side of the hijab to your left shoulder and pin it there. Pin the left-hand side of your hijab to your right shoulder. Adjust the folds of the hijab so it falls attractively around your shoulders.

Tying a Long Hijab

Drape an underscarf on your head, then drape a long hijab over it so that an inch of the underscarf shows on your forehead beneath the hijab. Leave twice the amount of fabric on the right side as you do on the left so that there will be enough fabric to drape. Add one decorative hijab pin to each side of the hijab, in line with or just above your eyes, to fasten the underscarf to the hijab. Pull the long side of your hijab over the top of your head and let it hang down the other side. Tweak it so it falls where you want it on your head. Use the pin on that side to affix it to your underscarf and the first layer of your hijab.

Tying Two Long Hijabs

To tie two long hijabs, first put an underscarf on your head, and select two long hijabs in contrasting colours. Choose which hijab you want as the accent colour and which one you want as the main colour. Wrap the accent hijab around your head and tie a knot in it at the back of to secure it. Alternately, you can use pins to secure it. Allow the rest of the shawl to drape down your back. Drape the other hijab over your head the same way you did the first hijab, but allowing some of the first hijab to show beneath the second hijab. Pin your second hijab at the back of your head to fasten it. Fix both hijabs on your left side using a pin, then drape the accent hijab over your head near the back so that a strip of both the accent and main hijabs can still be seen. Drape the main hijab over your head so that you can see the accent hijab, as well as all the previous layers you made. Secure on your right side using a pin.

A Non-Traditional Tie

Put on an underscarf. Tie the hanging ends together at the base of your head with a single knot; the ends should sit on top of each other, appearing to be one tail. Place a hijab a bit in front of your underscarf. Hold the ends apart behind the back of your neck. Cross the ends beneath the tail of your underscarf, and tie a knot over the knot of your underscarf, making two tails from the hijab, and three tails in total including the underscarf's tail. Braid the three tails together until about three inches of unbraided fabric remains. Secure the braid by wrapping an elastic hair band around the base, three inches up. Then wrap the unbraided tail of the underscarf around the hair band once to cover it up. Tuck the remaining bit of underscarf tail beneath the wrapped part, hiding it under the hair band. You're left with two short pieces of scarf dangling below the braid, with a beautiful silhouette over the band created by the underscarf.

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About the Author

Lexie Zirkle has been a freelance writer since 2008 and is an author of both fiction and nonfiction. Zirkle is pursuing a B.A. in English and philosophy at Amherst College. She specializes in swimming and life-guarding topics, as well as literary analysis and current events.